October 20, 2006 - Do what you love: Gaming on the ground floor

Since many people seem interested in testing games, here's an interesting article from The News Tribune in Tacoma, WA.

Do what you love: Gaming on the ground floor

BILL HUTCHENS; The News Tribune

While the depression in your sofa gets deeper and deeper, you might consider putting some of those video-gaming talents to work for you.

The Northwest, particularly the Puget Sound area, is a hotbed for game development. Dozens of gaming companies are stationed here, from big dogs like Nintendo and Microsoft in Redmond to PopCap, king of bite-size or “casual” games, in downtown Seattle.

And where there are game developers, there’s a need for game testers. Gamer or no, just about anyone can test games.

Those who have considered getting into the business of making games have heard the warning: “There’s a huge difference between playing games and making games.” The latter involves all kinds of mind-bogglingly complex math and science. Just thinking about the stuff that goes on behind the wizard’s curtain can spoil the fun of playing.

But game testers, these are the folks who really do play games either professionally or just for the thrill of being able to say “I played it first” or “I helped make that blockbuster game what it is.”

Below you’ll find a cross-sectional look at game testing in our area. There are many more game-testing opportunities than are listed here, but these descriptions should give an idea of the scope of positions available.

You want to test video games? Here are some places to start

Microsoft

Division: Microsoft Games Studios

Title: Official software tester

Foot in the door: “Official software tester” sounds pretty fancy-schmancy, but that’s the title Microsoft gives its volunteer game testers. That’s right: volunteer. Once every two months you can have a shot at being called in to test video and computer games.

Some compensation: OK, so you won’t make any money. You will get a nice gift, most likely a game or game-related goody to take home with you. And talk about an entry-level position. Work hard, intelligently document bugs and glitches, and who knows? You might work your way in – and up to the top. Be aware that you’ll need a lot of that “mind-bogglingly complex math and science” to truly succeed.

Be prepared: Never heard of a nondisclosure agreement? Better get ready to sign a hefty one. Like most high-tech companies, Microsoft is protective of its intellectual property. You’ll have to sign an NDA in order to test, and that means ixnay on the aggingbray. Take this line from their online FAQ: “You can say that you were at Microsoft and that you participated in a playtest, but you must agree not to talk about any specifics, such as: game title, graphics, features, etc., in order to participate. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.” Keep in mind, too, that the NDA lasts “indefinitely,” according to Microsoft.

Open enrollment: The program is open to gamers and nongamers of all ages. Microsoft wants input from young and old, experienced and inexperienced players. Looking at a test product from a nongamer’s perspective could reveal something a hard-core gamer might not notice – and vice versa.

Remember: It’s not entirely fun and games. You’re mostly likely going to play a product that isn’t finished. It’ll probably be buggy, and you’ll have to have patience while you describe and document every glitch you find.

Online enrollment form: Complete the online enrollment form at www.microsoft.com/playtest/playform.htm, and you could be on your way.

GameInstinct Inc.

Location: Redmond

The middle man: No matter how wide a game company’s net might be, it might not haul in the testers needed, the feedback wanted. Some game makers are looking to ready-made armies of game testers. That’s where companies like GameInstinct come in.

Throwing people at problems: GameInstinct amasses quality testers and then contracts with big game companies for temporary testing projects. So, you might find yourself working behind closed doors in the top-secret development lab of your favorite games company – but you’ll still represent and answer to GameInstinct. Like their clients, they’ll want the best of the best, gamers who can demonstrate flawless or near flawless game-play ability.

Roll ’em: Some game companies want to see video of their game being played from opening scene to closing credits. Sometimes the task falls to talented game testers.

Got what it takes? For more information, go online to www.gameinstinct.com.

Salary: GameInstinct charges its clients based on the size and scope of a given testing project. But compensation for most part-time game testers around the country is in the $9- to $12-an-hour range. It’s not much, but remember that you are basically getting paid to play video games and write about any problems you come across.

See also: www.vmcgamelabs.com. VCM has a game testing facility in Redmond and was chosen by Microsoft for several Xbox 360 testing projects.

PopCap Games

Location: Downtown Seattle

In-house only: Shawn Conard leads four salaried full-time game testers in PopCap’s Quality Assurance department. Their testing includes meticulously documenting every blip in PopCap’s notoriously addictive “casual” games such as the insanely popular and simple puzzle games Zuma and Bejeweled. These guys get paid not just to play games, but to try and break them.

No middle man: Unlike the quality-control processes in other companies, which often require multiple levels of scrutiny (and sometimes translation from one language to another and then back again) before any changes can be OK’d, conveying issues at PopCap often is as easy as throwing a squishy toy at a developer in a nearby cubicle. Once you have their attention, explain the issue.

Paying dues: All of the guys in PopCap’s QA department have spent many hours with temp agencies such as 1, 2, 3 Test, playing and testing games for many big game companies but never fully belonging to those big game companies. Hard work and perseverance brought them to their sweet gigs at PopCap.

Words of wisdom: “It’s not just about playing games or testing games and finding problems,” Conard said. “It’s about how well you communicate those problems to the development team.”

No vacancies: Sorry, team’s full at the moment. But they do sometimes call in a group of outside testers, a throwback to the good ol’ days when PopCap’s “A team” of game evaluators included the mothers of employees. The current team is a stable group without many openings, either, Conard said. But keep checking www.popcap.com for news.

Unknown

Job title: Console game tester

Reposting this message elsewhere is: NOT okay.

Look familiar? We can’t reprint this particular Oct. 2 posting from Craigslist.org. Just know that it’s a Seattle/Eastside company, and they need testers IMMEDIATELY.

’Tis the season: In all seriousness, this is the time of year when you ought to be checking classified ads for notices about game-testing opportunities like this one, especially if you’re looking for a fun way to make a little extra holiday cash and have some fun at the same time. The only drawback is, the companies seldom refer to themselves by name and never tell you up front the name of the game(s) you’ll be testing.

READ UP

These books offer information about breaking into the gaming industry.

• “Game Testing All in One” by Charles P. Schultz, Robert Bryant and Tim Langdell. This book can be a bit technical since it goes into not just testing for bugs and glitches but also covers methods of fixing them. If you’re technical-minded, this could be just the stepping stone you need to move from game testing into higher levels of quality assurance and possibly on to game development.
• “Game Plan: The Insider’s Guide to Breaking in and Succeeding in the Computer and Video Game Business” by Alan Gershenfeld, Mark Loparco and Cecilia Barajas.  More of a manual on how to tap into the education needed for a variety of gaming careers, “Game Plan” also covers the all-important foot-in-the-door aspect of the industry.

Bill Hutchens, The News Tribune Bill hutchens: 253-597-8460

bill.hutchens@thenewstribune.com